MedGenesis Therapeutix Inc., which develops and commercializes innovative treatments for patients with serious neurological diseases, has selected SynapCell to provide animal proof of concept for its lead product, GDNF, in chronic epilepsy.

Grenoble, France – April 19, 2011 – Grenoble, France-based biotechnology firm SynapCell, which provides preclinical research on treatments for epilepsy, announced today the signing of a preclinical epilepsy research agreement with MedGenesis Therapeutix Inc.

The research will employ a new relevant model of chronic epilepsy to test MedGenesis Therapeutix’s lead product, GDNF, in combination with the company’s proprietary Convection Enhanced Delivery (CED) technology.

“We were seeking a partner capable of effectively testing GDNF in a relevant epilepsy model using our CED technology for targeted delivery of the drug to the epileptic foci in the brain without systemic exposure. Of the companies we were looking at, SynapCell was the only one to possess the necessary know-how in two fields: epilepsy models and intracerebral injection. We hope that the disease-modifying potential of GDNF which has been demonstrated in Parkinson’s disease already will now also be demonstrated in epilepsy and help improve the lives of epilepsy patients,” said MedGenesis Chairman and CEO Dr. Erich Mohr.

“This project falls within the scope of SynapCell’s core business: assessing the efficacy of epilepsy treatments. However, our partnership with MedGenesis takes things a step further. We drew upon our in-depth knowledge of epilepsy models for proof-of-concept testing in an entirely new model of temporal lobe epilepsy that we have successfully implemented. We are now moving ahead with the actual research, which will go on for nine months. Our final report will provide a detailed review of the effects of GDNF on the frequency and intensity of behavioral and electroencephalographic seizures, and its potential to reverse the typical neurodegenerative changes seen with the disease,” said SynapCell CEO Corinne Roucard.

About SynapCell
SynapCell is a biotechnology firm specializing in epilepsy, providing the biopharmaceutical industry with innovative preclinical solutions to assess drug efficacy and identify side effects. SynapCell possesses a level of scientific expertise that is unique on the market. The company has developed predictive biological models for human diseases, offers recognized neurosurgical expertise, and uses powerful tools to test the electrical activity of neural networks. Learn more about SynapCell at: www.synapcell.com

About MedGenesis Therapeutix Inc.
MedGenesis is a privately-held biopharmaceutical company committed to developing and commercializing innovative therapeutics to provide life-enhancing treatments to patients with serious neurologic diseases. MedGenesis is a worldwide leader in Convection Enhanced Delivery (CED), a minimally invasive technique that provides for targeted, local treatment of CNS conditions such as epilepsy, brain cancer and other severely debilitating diseases of the CNS. Learn more about MedGenesis Therapeutix: www.medgenesis.com